As decentralized finance (DeFi) matures, Aerodrome Finance has emerged as the leading liquidity hub on the Base Network — Coinbase’s Layer-2 Ethereum scaling solution. Built by the team behind Velodrome, Aerodrome combines powerful governance mechanics, concentrated liquidity, and performance-driven incentives to create one of the most efficient and rewarding DeFi platforms in 2025.
At the heart of Aerodrome’s governance and emissions system is veAERO, a vote-escrowed NFT that represents locked AERO tokens. Users can lock their AERO for up to four years to receive veAERO, which grants voting power and access to protocol rewards.
Longer Lock = More Voting Power: AERO locked for 4 years yields full veAERO; shorter locks yield proportionally less.
Gauge Voting: veAERO holders vote weekly to direct AERO emissions to specific liquidity pools.
Fee Sharing: veAERO voters earn 100% of trading fees from the pools they support.
Bribes: Projects can offer incentives to veAERO holders to attract votes for their pools.
This system aligns incentives across traders, liquidity providers, and protocols — creating a self-reinforcing “flywheel” of liquidity and governance.
Aerodrome’s Slipstream is a concentrated liquidity engine inspired by Uniswap V3 but optimized for the Base Network. It allows liquidity providers (LPs) to allocate capital within specific price ranges, improving capital efficiency and fee generation.
Custom Price Bands: LPs choose the range where their liquidity is active.
Stakable NFT Positions: LP tokens are represented as NFTs and can be staked into gauges.
High-Yield Pools: Top Slipstream pools offer APYs exceeding 1,200%, including meme pairs like WETH-DOGINME.
Slipstream has become the dominant trading engine on Base, accounting for over 90% of Aerodrome’s volume and outperforming Uniswap V3 in daily swap activity.
Aerodrome offers multiple ways to earn yield, whether you’re a passive investor or an active participant:
Deposit assets into Slipstream pools.
Stake LP NFTs into gauges to earn AERO emissions.
Rebalance positions to stay within active price ranges.
Lock AERO to receive veAERO.
Vote on pools with high trading volume or bribe incentives.
Earn trading fees and bribes weekly.
Monitor bribe dashboards for high-paying pools.
Vote strategically to maximize weekly returns.
Participate in partner pools offering dual rewards (AERO + project tokens).
Explore meme and experimental pairs with high APYs.
These strategies allow users to tailor their yield approach based on risk tolerance, time commitment, and market conditions.
Q: What is veAERO and how do I get it? A: veAERO is an NFT representing locked AERO tokens. Lock AERO for up to 4 years to receive veAERO and gain voting power.
Q: What are gauges in Aerodrome? A: Gauges are pools that receive AERO emissions based on veAERO votes. LPs stake their positions into gauges to earn rewards.
Q: How does Slipstream improve trading? A: Slipstream uses concentrated liquidity to offer deeper order books, lower slippage, and higher fee generation.
Q: Can I earn passive income on Aerodrome? A: Yes. By providing liquidity and staking LP tokens, you can earn swap fees and emissions without active trading.
Q: What are bribes in Aerodrome? A: Bribes are incentives offered by projects to veAERO holders to vote for their pools, directing emissions and liquidity.
Ready to earn, vote, and trade smarter? Explore Aerodrome at aerodrome.finance